This college football season has been defined by the conversation regarding Group of Five (G5) schools and their inclusion in the College Football Playoff (CFP); a subsection of the overall discussion about G5 schools is the importance of bowl games, NIL, and the transfer portal.
UTSA, a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and part of the University of Texas system, was bombarded with denials, injuries and NIL opportunities regarding its student-athletes before their bowl game against the FIU Panthers.
Jeff Traylor said today that he will be without about 10 to 20 players next week for the bowl game due to injuries and, more frustratingly, NIL grabs and the transfer portal. MUST LISTEN. It’s the most important story in college football that won’t go away. @kens5 #BirdsUp pic.twitter.com/iXN3ZguDkb
– Vinnie Vinzetta (@VVinzetta) December 17, 2025
Bowl games have been a staple of college football since the early 1900s, and now they’re getting closer and closer to being treated like exhibition showcases. Players are constantly looking for the next best thing, as they have every right to do, but nothing is guaranteed in the transfer portal, and sometimes looking to greener pastures doesn’t result in the best outcome for both the team and the student.
There is no clear solution in sight regarding bowl games and their decreasing importance
Some football stakeholders said hosting bowl games early in the season would lead to higher stakes and marquee matchups filled with star players without the threat of bowl games being used as leverage by student-athletes.
If bowls games are to survive, they must be played in August/September.
– Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) December 8, 2025
The effect of such a change is uncertain, and while it is an idea that is gaining momentum, particularly in surrounding fan circles, there is no indication that it will happen anytime soon.
One thing is for sure, and that is that while NIL has led to positive developments in student-athlete compensation, it has also put mid-tier programs in a difficult position, causing them to not field some of their best players by the time bowl season gets underway.
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